In a FARC leadership meeting this week, the group announced that they will choose a new name for their fledgling political party on September 1st, the first day that the group is permitted to operate in politics according to the landmark peace accords signed with the Colombian government in 2016. The group also scheduled a constituent congress for late August at Plaza Bolivar, in Colombia’s capital of Bogota. The congress will be used to discuss the group’s policy positions and determine the final agenda for their September 1st meeting.
One issue still outstanding for the group is the selection of candidates, both for congress and for Colombia’s presidency. However Carlos Lozada and Iván Márquez, FARC senior representatives, both told the press that the group has not yet selected any candidates.
The leaders of the former terrorist organization used their press conference to clarify once again that they will not renegotiate any part of the accords with the Colombian government, and called on Colombia’s congress to respect the agreements. Márquez said that he feared that the government would attempt to renegotiate specific clauses in the agreement, which he said could compromise the fulfillment of this agreements.
The group also expressed concern about the safety of their members. Colombia’s Department of Protection of Citizens’ Rights stated this week that at least 5 former FARC members have been killed over the past several months in separate acts.
